love unmasked
by shel
Summary: phoebe & cole decide their future...
1. Default Chapter

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CHARMED

"Love Unmasked"

by shel

© october 2002

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disclaimer:

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the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too

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rating:

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pg-13

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summary:

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cole and phoebe make a decision about their future

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timeline:

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a week after the final events of season 5's 'magic wears a mask'

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archive:

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please don't without express permission

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notes:

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please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why notand, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames

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Sunday Evening

Cole answered the knock at his door and was speechless when he found Phoebe standing before him.

"Can I come in?" she politely asked after he hadn't greeted her in any way. She had a fleeting thought of impending doom. 

Cole quickly glanced behind him and faced Phoebe again. "Uh, Phoebe, now's not really a good time."

"Cole," a feminine voice called from inside the apartment, "I'm ready."

"Oh," Phoebe uttered in a mixture of embarrassment and sadness. She quickly turned around and reached for the elevator buttons. "Sorry," she hastily apologized without looking at him. "I should've called first. I just didn't think thatI mean I never expectednever mind."

"Phoebe, wait!" Cole called out as he finally found his voice. He leapt after her and added, "It's not what you think."

"It's okay, Cole," Phoebe weakly told him as she still faced the elevator. She kept pressing the button hard and continued, "You don't owe me any explanation. It's no longer any of my business."

"Of course it is," Cole insisted as he grabbed her hand from the button and spun her to face him. "I was going to call you as soon as I had everything in place."

"Cole?" An attractive red-head came up behind him and said, "I think I've got it allOh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt..." Neither Cole nor Phoebe spoke and she continued in slight discomfort, "Look, I'm gonna go unless you had something else, Cole?"

Cole didn't take his gaze off Phoebe and answered, "No, Kathy, I think that's it for tonight." Cole realized Phoebe was staring past him at Kathy and he said, "Phoebe, this is Kathy Silver from the firm. She's been putting in a lot of overtime helping me with my newproject."

As the elevator pinged, Phoebe tried to be convincing as she told Kathy, "Nice to meet you. I'm Phoebe Halliwell."

Kathy nodded and smiled pleasantly. "I've seen your picture. It's nice to meet you in person." She stepped into the elevator and told Cole, "I should have those figures for you some time tomorrow morning but the background for the Casper file might take another week. If I don't have the complete transcripts by your flight, I'll e-mail the basic details so you have it before you get to the new office."

"Flight?" Phoebe questioned. "New office?"

Cole didn't answer Phoebe but held the elevator open and thanked Kathy. "I'll be in late tomorrow. I've got some errands in the morning before my court hearing so I won't need those figures until two, the earliest."

Kathy nodded, "Good night." As the doors began to close, she said to Phoebe, "Nice meeting you, Mrs. Turner."

Phoebe barely managed to wave in return. She quickly faced Cole. "What's going on? What flight was she talking about?"

Cole sighed. "Come in, there's something I have to tell you."

Phoebe followed Cole inside but refused to sit on the sofa as he offered. "Just tell me where you're going."

"Sydney," he replied.

"As in Australia?" she asked in a slightly higher pitched tone. Cole nodded and she quickly asked, "What kind of case do you have that requires a trip to Australia?"

Cole walked past her towards the patio's French doors. With his back to her he quietly confessed, "I didn't expect to see you again. It's been a week and I thought you'd finally had it."

"Yeah, uh," Phoebe guiltily stammered, "I guess I might've over-reacted a bit." 

Cole spun and stared at her in disbelief. "You guess? You didn't even try to listen to me. You wouldn't return any of my calls or notes."

She glared at him and snapped, "You had just killed Edward Miller after telling me you wouldn't use your powers anymore so forgive me for being just a little freaked out."

Cole glared at her in return and countered, "The man was scum and wouldn't have hesitated to expose you to the media even if we'd have paid him the weekly fifty thousand he wanted."

Stunned, she gasped, "Fifty thousand? A week?"

"Secret identities don't come cheap," Cole muttered, still annoyed by her reaction.

Her feelings of guilt resurfaced and Phoebe looked down, "I know you were trying to protect us. But --"

"But I still took the life of an innocent," Cole recited as he interrupted, "and that's unforgivable."

"I wouldn't call Edward Miller an innocent," Phoebe retorted.

Cole was caught off-guard and began, "I thought that's what"

"I'm not happy about what you did," she said, "and I certainly don't agree with it but I've had time to think about it all."

"And?" Cole warily asked.

"And," she sighed, "I think if you'd been a little more patient, you'd have thought of another way to deal with Miller."

"There was no other way," he stated. "He would've used that tape and every other copy he made. You know what he was like. There was no talking sense to him."

"You're right," she agreed. "Miller wasn't someone that could be reasoned with. But he could be scared. You saw him when I had him hanging upside-down. All you had to do was destroy the tape in his hand. He'd have known you meant business and it would've been a start."

"Maybe," Cole quietly considered.

"Maybe," she repeated more forcefully. Her heart nearly broke to see the pain in his eyes. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad," she said as she touched his arm. "I know you made a split-second decision and only did what you thought would protect usme. But I think that's where the problem is."

"My protecting you?" he hoarsely asked.

Phoebe gave him a sad smile, "No. I love that you're still looking out for me and trying to protect me."

"Then how is it," he painfully asked, "that every time I try protecting you, I only end up pushing you further away?"

"Maybe you're trying to hard," she suggested. "I think the problem is that you're" Phoebe stopped her train of thought and looked away.

He encouraged her to continue, "Talk to me." She gazed back at him and Cole could see her reluctance. "Even if you think I don't want to hear it."

"I don't want to hurt you," she whispered, "anymore."

"Phoebe," he tenderly said, "we won't get past any of this unless we can figure out why things are still wrong between us. We used to be able to talk."

Phoebe turned from Cole and looked out the patio's doors. She stared at his reflection before she averted his gaze by looking down at her clasped hands. She nervously twisted her fingers together and tried to explain. "There was a time you wouldn't have acted asrashly as you did with Miller. The man, the demon, I met and fell in love with was all about planning and patience. Nothing ruffled his feathers and he rolled with the punches. He had a way of turning everything over to his advantage. Until"

"Until?" Cole patiently asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around to face him.

"Until the Source took over," she replied as she slowly looked him in the eyes. "Part of why we could defeat him the first time was because of his obsession with us and the impulsive decisions he made in trying to destroy us."

"I wasn't that Source," Cole commented uncomfortably.

"No," she agreed, "but in some ways you acted just like him. The Source you became was still half-human and that half-human was in love with me. A witch. And not just any witch. But a Charmed One. The very witch he'd been trying to kill for three years. And you were caught in the middle, trying to figure out how to destroy the Charmed Ones without losing me. You tried planning and being patient but circumstances forced you to act quickly and sometimes without thinking the consequences through completely."

"What are you getting at?" he whispered.

Phoebe took a deep breath and carefully began, "Just that some of the Source's personality or essence may have clung to you in the Wasteland and when you --"

"No!" Cole shouted as he turned and stormed off.

Phoebe quickly stopped him after he'd taken only a few strides. "Think about it," she appealed to him as she grabbed his arm. "Ever since you got out, you've been obsessed with getting me back."

"Because I love you," he angrily insisted.

"That may be true but you still haven't been thinking clearly," she calmly continued as she kept a firm grip on him. "You've acted so impulsively. You've messed with Darryl's cases, run into burning buildings, mentioned our private life in front of a scumbag enemy. That's not you. That's not the Cole Turner I know." She felt the tension in his arms ease slightly and she quietly added, "Something happened to you in the Wasteland. I can't even begin to know what I had done to you or what it was like there but you've got to see now that you're not the same man."

Cole looked into her eyes and realized she believed everything she'd just told him. "How can I possibly be the same man after everything that happened to me, to us, in the past year?"

"You can't," she softly answered, "I don't expect you to be. Or me, for that matter. But I don't remember you ever being as obsessed as you have been these past few months. You've acted without thinking, without caring. And that's just not you."

"Maybe you're right," he finally conceded. "I've been trying so hard to convince you and"

"You don't have to convince me that you love me," she commented as his voice trailed off. "I know you do. And you know that I love you. But this desperationit's not healthy, Cole. For either of us."

He nodded, more to himself than to her. "Then maybe I finally made the right choice."

"What choice?" Phoebe nervously asked.

"This trip to Australia isn't just for a case," he told her.

Suddenly afraid to hear more, she still asked, "It isn't?"

"It's one-way," he confirmed.

"What," she stammered, "what do you mean?"

Cole shrugged helplessly. "I thought you really meant it this time. After what happened with Miller, I thought it would be best if I finally gave you what you wanted and left. No matter how much I wanted to prove I'd changed, I've only proved how much I haven't. And," he said as he sadly looked at her, "you're beginning to fear me and that's the last thing I've ever wanted."

She shook her head in denial. "That's not true," she insisted.

"Yes it is," he explained, "and that it's taken this long is astounding to me. I suppose there was a part of me that never quite believed how you always felt safe with me, no matter who I was. Even when I was the Source. Except for that first moment you discovered the truth, you never ran from me. Until I now. Until I came back. So I have to leave. Before I lose everything else too."

Phoebe wiped some tears from her cheeks and admitted, "You'll never lose my love."

Cole tenderly wiped away a tear she missed and said, "That's a risk I'm not willing to take." He pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "The firm just opened an office in Sydney," he explained, "and I volunteered to transfer and take the lead there. It's that simple."

"That simple?" she mumbled with her face still pressed against his chest.

"You'll be free," he answered as he stroked her hair. "Finally. You can move on. And, who knows, maybe the space will do me some good too. Maybe helping innocents on my own, without your presence, will help me stay on the right path. Maybe I need to prove something to myself before I can ask to you to even consider trying again."

"How can we try again when we're a world apart?" she mumbled. He didn't answer and she squeezed her arms around him. "When do you leave?" she sadly asked.

"Day after tomorrow," he informed her. "It seems I didn't have that much to wrap up here."

Phoebe stiffened in his embrace and angrily pushed back from him. "When were you planning on telling me that you're moving to the other side of the globe? Or were you just going to send me a postcard from the airport?"

"I was going to tell you but I didn't think" Cole paused, stared into her eyes, and quietly repeated, "I didn't think you'd care."

Her mouth dropped and she stumbled back a step. She couldn't find her voice. Instead, she threw herself at Cole and kissed him with all the passion she could muster to prove to him how wrong he was.

Cole was suddenly confused and began to break away from her but she refused to let go. "Phoebe, you don't know what you're --" he groaned.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," she breathlessly interrupted.

And Cole made the impulsive decision to ignore the small voice in the back of his head. With Phoebe's lips claiming his, and her tongue dancing with his, he lifted her up and faded out of the room and into his bedtheir bed.

***** ***** ***** ***** 

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Monday Afternoon

Piper and Paige stood by the stove and strained the soup from their respective stockpots into plastic containers.

"Smells good," Leo commented as he orbed in. He took a deep breath and smiled. "Chicken soup, my favorite. I'm hungry already."

Piper smiled, "That's sweet, honey, but this isn't for you." She chuckled at Leo's sudden look of disappointment. "I'm sorry, but Darryl and his wife are still sharing that cold and I thought they might appreciate some of Grams's chicken soup."

"All that's for them?" Leo asked.

"The other pot is for Dad," Piper answered. "With him traveling so much lately and the weather constantly changing, I don't want him to come down with anything."

"Oh," Leo commented, "I'm sure he'll appreciate the effort."

Piper felt sorry for her hard-working husband and sidled up to him for a tender kiss. "I'm sure Dad won't notice if a cup or two is missing."

Leo instantly brightened and thanked her, "You're the best, honey." His smile quickly faded thought and he said, "Well, maybe you'd better not."

"Don't worry, Leo," Paige chuckled, "I think Victor's gotten used to the idea that you got Piper pregnant."

Piper glared at her younger sister and turned back to Leo. "Honey, I know he may not show it very often but you know he loves you."

Leo shook his head, "Tolerates me, you mean."

Piper hugged him and in a placating voice told him, "Well, I love you and our baby loves you."

Leo smiled and kissed his wife. "And I love you, too."

Knocking was suddenly heard and Paige frowned. But, she announced, "Come in if you must."

Cole suddenly appeared before them. "Good. You're all here," he said.

They all stared at each other for a minute or so before Paige complained, "So, what is it?"

"Is there something demonic happening," Piper nervously questioned, "because Phoebe's stuck in a meeting."

"I know," he answered. He didn't miss the look Paige and Piper exchanged and he told them, "I actually came to see the three of you. I wanted toWell, I wanted to say good-byeAnd thank you."

"You going somewhere?" Paige warily asked.

Cole nodded, "Long story short, I'm transferring to my firm's new office in Sydney."

"When?" Paige asked in a tone that did nothing to hide her growing excitement.

At the same time, Piper asked in concern, "Does Phoebe know?"

"Tomorrow night," he indicated to Paige and then, to Piper, he answered, "I told her last night."

"That would explain why she wasn't around this morning," Leo commented to his wife and sister-in-law. "She probably needed the time to herself."

Cole bit back his smile because he knew the real reason why Phoebe had missed family breakfast. Instead, he repeated, "So, thank you."

"For what?" Piper asked distractedly.

He shrugged, "For giving me a chance." He noticed Paige's skeptically raised eyebrow and he acknowledged, "Several chances. For what it's worth, there were times I did feel like I was actually part of this family."

"There were times you actually were," Piper quietly told him. She cleared his throat. "It won't be the same around here without you."

"And that's a bad thing?" Paige muttered.

Cole smiled at her and teased, "I think I'll miss you most of all, sis."

Paige made a face at him and asked, "Shouldn't you be packing?"

Cole laughed but turned back to Piper and Leo and seriously wished them, "I hope everything goes well with the baby. I know how much she means to you."

Taken aback by Cole's earnestness, Leo simply answered, "Thank you."

Cole looked at them all and said, "Well, I'd better go."

Piper cleared her throat and tried her best not to start crying. Just as Cole took a step, she called out, "Cole." He stopped, looked at her, and waited. She suddenly stepped forward and hugged him. "Good luck," she quietly said.

Cole returned her embrace and, just as quietly, said, "Thank you, Piper." He stepped away and faded out of the kitchen.

***** ***** ***** ***** 

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Tuesday Evening

"Paige!" Phoebe shouted as she rushed into the attic in the midst of pulling on her jacket. "Why didn't you wake me like I asked?"

"Phoebe, you haven't slept in two days," Paige explained as she shut the Book of Shadows, "and work's been crazy. You're exhausted and need your sleep."

"I can't believe you'd be that vindictive," Phoebe snapped. "You know I wanted to get to the airport."

"I'm sorry," Paige commented contritely, "I thought it was more important for you to get your rest."

"Even without traffic," Phoebe muttered as she turned to leave, "I'll never get there in time."

"Look," Paige suggested as she jumped up after her older sister, "how about if I orbed you there? Would that show you I didn't mean it?"

Phoebe considered her sister a moment, "If we make it in time"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Paige asked as she grabbed Phoebe's hand and orbed them out of the attic and into a dark corner of the airport concourse.

"There it is," Phoebe hastily said as she looked at the Departures' Monitor. "Paige," she complained, "the flight to New York is already boarding and the gate's all the way at the other end of the airport. You've got to orb us again. Just think of the gate number."

***** ***** ***** ***** 

Phoebe pushed her way through the evening's passengers who were milling around concourse. "Cole!" she called out when she spotted him standing in line at the gate.

He looked around and saw her. He stepped out of the line and Phoebe was suddenly in his arms and kissing him. "I wasn't sure you'd come," he admitted when she pulled back.

"I had to come," she told him as he set his carry-on bag on the floor. He reached for her hands and she smiled as she continued in a rush. "But I was so exhausted from the past few days that when I lay down for a few minutes, I guess I fell asleep and I had specifically asked Paige to make sure I didn't fall asleep but she" Phoebe caught Cole's grin and said, "Never mind, it doesn't matter." She took a breath, "I'm here because I want to be here."

"Phoebe, what does --" he began to ask.

"I don't know what it means," she interrupted as she anticipated the rest of his question. She forgot all about Paige standing a few feet away and told him, "I don't know what it means except that I'm not ready to let you go."

"You divorced me," he reminded her with a gentle squeeze of his hand.

"I know," Phoebe timidly answered. "I can't explain it," she sheepishly admitted.

The airline ticket agent suddenly announced, "This is the final boarding call for the flight to New York with connecting flight to Sydney, Australia." 

Cole glanced at the gate's doorway. "I'd better go," he reluctantly told her.

"I know," she quietly agreed as he released her hands. She reached for his bag and requested, "Call me when you get there."

He bent forward and kissed her tenderly. "I will."

Phoebe handed him his bag and walked with him, hand-in-hand, to the doorway. "I noticed the other night that your dialects are a bit rusty," she lightheartedly said. Cole stared at her in mock indignation and she chuckled. "But I'm sure you'll be speaking like a native Aussie in no time."

Cole chuckled, kissed her hand that was clasped in his, and handed his ticket to the agent. He turned back to Phoebe. "I'm just a" he quickly glanced at the agent who was within earshot of their conversation and carefully said, "a phone call away. If you need anything." 

Phoebe understood what he meant to say but found she couldn't speak. She simply stared back at him with tears in her eyes. 

He released her hand and dropped his bag again. He gently placed both hands on her cheeks and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "Any time, day or night. For anything," he clarified before he leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

He pulled away but Phoebe hugged him and whispered, "Be goodStay safe."

Cole placed his hands on her waist and kissed the top of her head. He took a deep breath and stepped away. He picked up his bag and, without looking back, went through the doorway.

***** ***** ***** ***** 

Paige came up behind Phoebe who still stared out the window at the airplane that had finally pulled away from the gate. "Are you okay?"

"Let's just go home," Phoebe hoarsely answered.

Paige put her arm around Phoebe and, in a consoling tone, said, "You got it."

Phoebe let Paige lead her towards the bathroom and shoved her hands into her pockets. She stopped walking when she felt the note that hadn't been there before.

"What is it?" Paige asked.

Phoebe didn't answer and opened the small folded piece of paper. 'Cole must have slipped it in,' she thought with wonder. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the note and read it.

_A world away and I'll still love you as much as I do right now. We'll make it work, you'll see._

Phoebe smiled. "Let's go home," she told her sister in a more positive tone.

"Aren't you going to tell me what it says?" Paige asked as she tried to read the note.

Phoebe folded the note again and clenched it in her hand. "Nope," she replied with a smile as she already had Cole's words memorized. Once again, she was amazed at how that man seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. "C'mon," she said in a cheerful tone as she tugged on Paige's arm, "let's get outta here."

***** ***** ***** ***** 

Cole settled in his seat and pulled the magazine from the outer pocket of his bag. He barely caught the small note as it fluttered into his lap. He stared at it in surprise and was pleased to realize, 'Phoebe must have slipped it in when she grabbed the bag.' He unfolded the note and read it.

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There's no other "mate" for me ~ I will love you forever. Maybe this time we'll get it right.

Cole smiled at the way she had once again read his mind and he tried to picture her reaction to his own note. "We will get it right," he whispered as he stared out his seat's window and watched the airport become just a spot in the distance.

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the end


	2. eight weeks later

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note:

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there's minor reference to an event from 'brain drain'i tend to avoid sequels or continuations but, this time, particularly for my cheerleader, i made an exceptionhope it didn't disappoint.

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Eight Weeks Later

In the warehouse, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe turned their heads as the demon before them twisted in a maelstrom of wind and fire. They linked arms and huddled close together as the demon uttered one last scream of agony before it shattered into tiny pieces and disappeared.

"Cool," Paige nodded with satisfaction as she stared at the burned spot on the floor. She then noticed that both her sisters glared at her in disbelief and she shrugged, "What?"

Piper dropped her hand from Phoebe's arm and brought it to the purple bruise on her forehead. "C'mon, baby," she groaned, "do your thing for mommy." As she finished speaking, her bruise disappeared in a glowing whitish-blue light. "Thank you," she said as she lightly patted her tummy and looked up to find Paige grinning at her in amusement.

Phoebe, meanwhile, groaned as she stepped away from her sisters. She rubbed the back of her neck and told them, "I get dibs on the hot water. I'm going to take a long, long, long soak with nothing but bubbles, some candles, some instrumental music, and a good book."

"Not fair," Piper grumbled, "I'm older. And a mommy-to-be. I should get the tub first."

"You've got a built-in Whitelighter," Phoebe countered as she stuck out her tongue to her sister, "not to mention your own personal masseuse to take away your aches, so the tub is mine this time."

Paige gaped at her sisters, "You guys are supposed to be in such great shape, how can you be wimping out on me after that guy? He was nothing compared to some other demons we've seen lately."

Phoebe glanced to Piper and commented, "Amazing how quickly she forgot what it's like to juggle a real job with our Charmed one."

Piper grinned, "She found the hidden secret of taking all those afternoon naps. Now she thinks she's invincible."

"I do not," Paige complained, "and it's not polite to talk about me in the third person when I'm standing right here. Especially considering how I helped this time. Did I orb out by accident? No. Did I get to kick some butt? Yes." Properly chastised, the sisters apologized. Paige nodded her acceptance and asked, "So, you think maybe now I'm at least a little ready for some training?"

"You've been doing a great job on your own," Piper told her as she patted Paige's arm.

"No," Paige said as she shook her head, "I don't mean book stuff. I mean some real training, like that black belt stuff. Like you said, I do have all this time on my hands now."

Phoebe considered her sister's request. "I can give you a list of a couple of different dojos."

Paige looked a little surprised, "I thought you'd teach me."

"Even if I had the time," Phoebe laughed, "I may be good, but I'm not that good. You need to learn from a professional."

"Oh," Paige uttered, "I guess I thoughtWell, you and Cole always seemed to be able to work on your" She saw Phoebe tense and immediately apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to mention Cole...I mean, him"

"I don't want to talk about Cole," Phoebe quietly said.

Paige continued to apologize, "I'm sorry, I know you've been trying to get over his being gone and that you don't want to --"

"Paige," Piper gently interrupted with a glance towards Phoebe, "just orb us home."

***** ***** ***** ***** 

"I'll eat later," Phoebe shouted as she entered her room, "after I'm out of the tub." She closed the door behind her and went to her closet to retrieve her robe. She threw it on her bed and groaned as she peeled off her jacket. She hung it in the closet and groaned as she pulled off her sleeveless top. After she threw it onto the bed, she unzipped her skirt. It fell to the floor and she stumbled as she stepped out of it. She reached for the doorpost to stop herself but, as she stumbled forward, she instead made contact with an arm. She looked up and smiled at the body that had steadied her. "Cole."

"This either a good time," he smiled at her state of undress, "or a bad one." Phoebe didn't answer and simply stood before him and his smile quickly faded. "Sorry, I didn't mean.Look, I'll just go."

He had taken a step back when Phoebe quickly reached out and stopped him. "No. Wait!" He stared at her expectantly and she stammered, "It's just a surprise. I didn't expectI mean, it's been so long and I thought thatWell, I wasn't sureI mean the phone calls and e-mails are great but IYou never saidI mean did we --"

Cole interrupted her rambling with a kiss. In response, she wrapped her arms up and around his neck and pressed herself close to him.

"Hi," she breathlessly whispered as she pulled away.

"Hi," he replied with a smile. He noticed, though, her sudden frown and asked, "What is it?"

"What happened?" she asked as she gently indicated to the scratches on his neck. "Does it hurt? Why didn't it heal itself?"

"Nothing worth talking about," he answered with a smile due to her concern, "no, and I don't know."

"Phoebe?" Paige shouted from the hallway. "You decent?"

Phoebe quickly shoved Cole into the closet and shut the door just as Paige opened the bedroom door. "What's the point in asking if you're going to barge in anyway?" Phoebe asked, annoyed.

"Sorry," Paige shrugged, "I just wanted to catch you before you got into the tub. Think I could borrow your teardrop necklace tonight? It'll go great with that black top I've got and I --"

"Sure," Phoebe quickly interrupted. She hurried over to her jewelry box, pulled out a necklace, and shoved it into her sister's hand as she pushed Paige out the door. "Go, have a great time!"

"Thanks," Paige grinned as she headed down the hallway to her room, "you're the best!"

Phoebe closed her door, leaned back against it, and breathed a sigh of relief. Cole suddenly appeared in front of her and she gasped in surprise. "Sorry," she said with a slight smile at his unamused reaction.

Before Cole could respond, though, Piper shouted from the hallway, "Phoebe, you in the tub yet?"

Phoebe groaned and grabbed at Cole. "Quick," she hissed, "the bathroom!"

Cole smiled, pulled her into another kiss, and faded them out of her room and into the bathroom. He pulled away and looked around the room. Candles of various shapes and sizes were lit everywhere and the tub was filled with bubbles.

Phoebe suddenly turned towards the door, and shouted, "I'm in the tub, Piper! Don't bug me!"

Piper shouted back, "I just wanted to let you know, I'm going to the club for a little while and there are some leftovers in the fridge."

"Thanks," Phoebe answered. She turned around and asked Cole in a low voice, "Think you could go back and get my robe?" Cole nodded and faded out. Phoebe quickly wiped the steamed mirror and looked at her reflection. She tried to give her eye make-up a quick fix but Cole suddenly reappeared and she gasped again in surprise. "Sorry," she sheepishly apologized as she stepped back from the sink. "Thanks," she added as she reached for her robe. She turned around and hung it on one of the hooks and proceeded to remove her underwear. She turned around and found Cole standing silently before her. "What?" she nervously asked.

"What," he responded as he took a deep breath, gently turned her back around, and touched the large bruise on her back, "happened?"

"Nothing worth talking about," she echoed with a sly smile as she turned around and began to unbutton his shirt. "With all this water around, don't you think you should remove this dry-clean-only shirt before it gets wet?"

"Phoebe" Cole warned her even as he didn't put in much effort to stop her.

Phoebe pushed the shirt off his shoulders and stepped back. "C'mon, I think you need this as much as I do." She didn't wait for an answer and carefully climbed into the tub. With a groan, she carefully sat down and closed her eyes as she enjoyed her first few moments in the refreshingly warm water.

***** ***** ***** ***** 

Phoebe leaned back against Cole, took the sponge, and gently brushed it along his arm that was wrapped around her. She felt his warm breath against her temple as he placed a tender kiss in that spot. As she continued her gentle ministrations, she quietly asked, "Are you ready to talk about it?"

Cole smiled and lightly squeezed her within his arms. He kissed her cheek and closed his eyes as he leaned forward slightly and rested his cheek against hers. "The case is over," he murmured.

Phoebe twisted her head slightly to look at him. "And?"

"I won," he quietly said.

"So what's wrong?" she asked as she lightly rubbed his arm.

"Margaret's husband is still dead," he answered with a sigh, "and her four-year old daughter will be paralyzed for life. Where's the justice?"

Phoebe brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. "The justice is that she won't have to worry about medical bills or losing her home. The justice is that her unborn child will have the chance to be born." She kissed his hand again, "And it's because of you and all your hard work."

Cole gave her hand a squeeze. "It still doesn't feel right. I should've been able to do more."

"Welcome to the club," Phoebe gently teased as she twisted again to place a light kiss on his lips. "Now tell me what else is bothering you."

Cole chuckled as he kissed her back, "I love you."

"I know," she teased as she leaned back against him. "I'll tell you about my demon if you tell me about yours."

Cole's eyebrow arched in surprised. "What makes you think a demon was involved?"

"I know you, my love, and I know you're forging this new life for yourself as an attorney," Phoebe chuckled before she grew serious, "but Margaret's case has been going on for a few weeks and the verdict alone isn't enough to give you the blues." Phoebe turned around in his arms and ignored the water that splashed around them. She gently touched the scratches on his neck and quietly added, "I'm willing to bet those scratches were caused by someone you knewand someone you had to destroy."

Cole pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Just someone I spent some time with while working for the Brotherhood."

Phoebe caressed his cheek, "Tell me about him." Cole gazed into her eyes and hesitated. "Tell me," she repeated.

Cole nodded and gently twisted her back around so that she leaned against him once more. He wrapped his arms around her and she lightly sponged his arms as he spoke. "I suppose I was something of a favorite of Raynor and the others, for the most part, let me be."

"Of course," Phoebe commented, "it didn't hurt that you were the best and they knew it."

"Well," he chuckled and kissed her temple, "I wasn't the bestyet." He felt her silent laugh and gave her a slight squeeze before he continued, "Jarden was closest in age to me so we were often paired together on missions. We shared a lot of the same tastes and spent a lot of time together in the human world."

"What happened to him?" she asked.

Cole shrugged, "We each found our own path. I rose higher in the ranks while he remained at the same level. He was good but"

"But not as good as you," Phoebe suggested. She felt Cole's nod and asked, "How long had it been since you'd seen him?"

"About fifty years," he quietly answered. "Last I'd heard, he'd been working in South America. Imagine my surprise when I found him in the alley."

"What happened?" she whispered in encouragement as she pulled his arms tightly around herself.

Cole closed his eyes as he recalled, "I'd gone to take a deposition from a storeowner. Pretty open and shut case, the old guy's having trouble with one of his suppliers. I left through the back of the store and heard some muffled screams coming from the nearby alley. A woman was being attacked. The guy's back was to me and I made my presence known." Cole stopped and waited for some sort of comment from Phoebe. When there wasn't any, he continued, "The girl was hurt and couldn't run. Jarden wasn't going to let her go. Idid what I had to do."

Phoebe turned around and hugged Cole. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be," he said as he pushed her back. He saw the look of surprise on her face and he apologized. "I've started down this road and can't afford to turn back now. Not even for someone like Jarden."

Phoebe gazed back at him and caressed his cheek again. "I wasn't there but I can see how difficult it was for you. You've made the choice to fight demons but it's been a year since it was so personal. Thiswasn't just a reminder that you've changed sides but that you've again betrayed those who were close to you. You've again turned your back on yourheritage, I guess, and everything and everyone you grew up to believe in. And now you feel as if you're alone on your path and doubt and wonder if you've made the right choice." Cole stared back at her in amazement and she smiled, "And I'm here to tell you, you have made the right choice. You're on the right path, Cole, and if you ever doubt it, then all you have to do is feel here." Phoebe brought his hand to her heart and pressed it so that he felt her heartbeat. "Right here. Whenever you feel alone or in doubt, think of my love for you. And believe."

Cole squeezed her hand and pulled her close. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered in reply before turned around, she stretched out her arm and turned on the hot water faucet. As a light flow of water filled the tub, she explained, "I think we still need to relax. Unless you have to get back?"

"I took the rest of the day," he somberly replied. He handed her some bath beads that she held underneath the flow of water. He sponged her back as she swirled the fresh bubbles around the tub. She turned off the faucet and he pulled her back against him.

"Stay for dinner?" she hesitantly questioned. He didn't reply and she tensed. As his arms wrapped themselves around her, she closed her eyes and sighed peacefully as she leaned back against him. 

After a moment, Cole asked, "For dessert too?"

Phoebe twisted slightly and asked in return, "What's dinner without dessert?" Cole grinned but before he could answer, Phoebe had already claimed his lips with hers. 

"I can hardly wait," he murmured after she pulled back.

Phoebe laughed softly, turned around again and leaned back against him. "Me, too."

And they remained in each other's arms, in companionable silence, until the bubbles disappeared

__

the endreally


End file.
